201 Boarders and Old Fears

"Light!" Remian threw up a barrier as another volley of Ashdalian cannons hammered down on the Red Fang.

From inside, Mindy exclaimed, "Fire!"

The Red Fang's cannons unleashed a broadside volley onto the nearest pursuing Frigate. Twelve Adventurers and three survivors on deck armed themselves for hand-to-hand combat. Phoebe had taken up Mindy's Runic Nagamaki, but had put it down as she helped Remian put on his ME Suit.

Despite taking on fire, a cluster of grappling hooks were fired out from the pursuing frigate's cannons. Remian flicked out a hand on that side too. "Light!"

Grappling hooks bounced off the light barrier, but one or two caught on the deck.

"Lighten!" Sandra cast a lightening spell on one. Gammie grabbed it by hand and easily lifted it off the rim of the deck and tossed it overboard. As for the last one, Phoebe chopped at the attached cable with Mindy's Nagamaki and…

And nothing. That chop failed to cut through the cable. It barely even left a scratch.

"Firebolt!" Sandra scroll-casted another spell at the cable on the other end of the deck, but it was no good. The cable wouldn't give. "Wow! What is that thing made of?!"

"Lighten!" Gammie resorted to tried-and-proven tactics. "Someone, toss it off!"

Alex darted over, but he was too late. The cable was already pulled taut, the hook sunk in tightly. Trying to remove it now was no longer just an issue of weight. Grimly, he raised his new spear (compliments of the Red Fang armory) and prepared to repel whoever came up along that cable…

"Uh, Alex, I don't think that cable is meant for people to climb." Phoebe advised him.

"What? Then what is it for?"

"It's meant to restrict our movements. Literally to hook the airship so we can't get away." Phoebe explained. "Also, based on the habits of slavers, they won't jump over until after they've gassed us."

"What do you mean, 'gassed'?"

He got his answer a moment later when scores of jars leaking thick green smoke flew over and landed all across the deck. A terrible, sickening smell arose; Alex found himself throwing up before he could even think about holding his breath.

"That." Phoebe said, surrounded by a soft yellow glow.

"Wind!" Remian's magic surged, and a large majority of the smoke was blown off deck, toward the frigate that hooked them…

But magic was also being worked on their side, and dozens of people were 'jumping' over, crossing ten meters of empty air easily with the help of wind magic.

They landed all over the deck, wearing gas masks and goggles, wielding scimitars and spears and maces…

"Form up! Defensive formation…" Phoebe gasped.

But there was no point. Everyone was spread across the deck thinking to throw off grappling hooks if they landed. Trying to gather them into a formation now, when the boarders were already surrounding them…

"Melee!" Remian called a different order. "Pull back if you can! Mindy!"

Mindy darted out, drawing her sword. Streams of fire suddenly burst out in five different directions, knocking a full dozen boarders right off the airship. She dashed forward. "Everyone, get back! I'll cover you!"

***

Mandy was watching the fight through the spyglass with a certain amount schadenfreude when she suddenly gasped. "Stop! Stop shooting! That's my sister! My SISTER is on that ship!!"

Sir Stout jumped. "Cease fire! CEASE FIRE!"

***

At first, Mindy charged forward bravely. Streams of fire knocked boarders off their feet and often right off the deck. Many of them were set on fire outright. There were screams, there wer shouts…

But she had a look of frustration on her face. In such close quarters, with friends all around and an airship that she really, really didn't want to damage, Mindy had to be careful about how she fought. Rather than being 'held back', it was better to say she could hardly move.

And then the boarders started to throw chained nets around people. Alex, Sandra, and Gammie were among the first few to suddenly find themselves entangled in chain nets.

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Seeing it, Mindy froze. Horror filled her eyes. "Slavers!"

When it came to boarding airships, raiding settlements and taking slaves… Fal'Herim had been rather famous in those matters. The Desert King's forces had been more mercenary than military, more marauders than marchers, more slavers than soldiers. Asda, naturally, inherited the lot of them.

"Mindy? Mindy!" Remian called.

But Mindy didn't respond. She looked dazed, as if her mind was in a far away place…

Sandra's and Gammie's comrades leapt into battle, warding off the slavers. Alex had a pair of friends trying to free him…

"Light!" Remian repelled several flung chains with barriers. "Fire!" He countered them and sent them flying off the ship.

"The Mage!" Asda shouted. "Capture the Mage!"

Remian snarled. "Freeze!"

Nine slavers and a hapless Feelo-Wasp all froze in ice at the same time. The Wasp blinked, then gave Remian a plaintive look. 'Why me?!!'

"Sorry." Remian apologized. "Didn't mean to get you too."

Then grappling hooks appeared on the left side as well, and then from behind, and in front. More raiders jumped in from three different ships on all sides.

"We're surrounded!" Alex blurted, just before both his friends found chain-nets falling on their own heads.

Five different chain nets rained down on Remian at the same time.

"Light!" Remian raised a barrier overhead, blocking the chains only to be tackled from the side by another slaver.

Finally Mindy woke up. "Remian!" she screamed. Then, she looked around, and saw slavers on all sides, with chains and manacles, and… and… "NOOOOO!!!!"

"Mindy!" Remian called.

But it was no good. Surrounded by her greatest childhood fears, Mindy fled.

"Capture her! Capture them all!" Asda shrieked.

They tried. They really did. But Mindy was just too fast, and she literally flew through the air, blindly heading to the left.

***

"Incoming!" the Ashdalian lookout yelled.

"Hold your fire!" Mandy screamed. "That's my sister! She's coming to me!"

"Your sister can fly?" Sir Stout was amazed, for once not using honeyed tones on Mandy.

But Mandy wasn't paying any attention to him. "MINDY! I'M HERE!! Over here!"